Boeing is best placed to fulfil Emirates' need for larger planes as it seeks to find a replacement for its Airbus A380 superjumbo, chairman and chief executive Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed has said.
Asked if Boeing is the horse to back in the airline's quest for a successor to the A380, Sheikh Ahmed told The National: "Yes, they are the only one available today."
This comes after Emirates on Monday handed Boeing a $38 billion deal for 65 additional 777X widebody planes, although that series of aircraft faces long delays. The agreement included the possibility of extending the 777-9 version, the so-called 777-10 that has yet to be developed.
Emirates endorsed the 777-9 with the additional order despite the seven-year delay to the programme as it is the only aircraft that can meet its capacity requirements after the A380s are retired in early 2040.
"They are the only one, as we speak today, in that category of more than 335 seats. This is what we want. We want bigger aircraft," Sheikh Ahmed said.
Emirates, the world's biggest international airline, is also the world's biggest operator of widebody planes, with a fleet of 232 Boeing 777 and A380 aircraft.
While the European company has the technology to develop a larger version of its A350-1000 widebody, both manufacturers must listen to their customers' needs, Sheikh Ahmed said.
"Who will listen, they will win," he said in an interview at the Dubai Airshow on Tuesday.
Emirates refrained from plac
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